In the packaging of electronic components, it is frequently desirable to include many densely populated electronic components within a single enclosure or package. In a typical situation, the components are mounted on one or more supporting plates or substrates which are interconnected by wires or other forms of conductors. The substrates may then be sealed from the environment, as by using a conformal coating. The sealed assembly may then be enclosed within a rigid or semi-rigid housing to protect the enclosed components.
This conventional packaging technique tends to be undesirably expensive. In applications requiring relatively high power, the expense increases even more because the package may require internal or external heatsinks. A package that is robust, easily assembled, and less expensive is clearly desirable.